Grisedale Pike routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 3 measured routes up Grisedale Pike, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Grisedale Pike routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Grisedale Pike route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Grisedale Pike route

Braithwaite via Sleet How

Climb the east ridge over Kinn and Sleet How on a clear path that turns loose and steep near the top. It starts from Braithwaite / lower Whinlatter Pass car park. 3.6 km one way with 650 m of ascent. About 1h 50m to the summit and 2h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Coledale Horseshoe

Climb Grisedale Pike, follow the ridge to Hopegill Head and around Coledale Hause, and return over Crag Hill and Sail. It starts from Braithwaite (Whinlatter road car park). 8.3 km one way with 851 m of ascent. About 3h 5m to the summit and 4h 45m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Hard.

Lanthwaite via Whiteside ridge

A hard mountain walk to the summit from Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park. It starts from Lanthwaite Wood National Trust car park. 6.7 km one way. Grade: Hard.

Grisedale Pike route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Braithwaite via Sleet How, Lanthwaite via Whiteside ridge. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.

Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Grisedale Pike today and the Grisedale Pike 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Grisedale Pike routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Grisedale Pike, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Grisedale Pike

What is the easiest route up Grisedale Pike?

From Braithwaite, follow the ridge path over Kinn and Sleet How to the summit. It is steady and clear, with steeper ground at the end.

How much time does each Grisedale Pike route take?

Braithwaite via Sleet How: about 1h 50m up and 2h 30m there and back. Coledale Horseshoe: about 3h 5m up and 4h 45m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Grisedale Pike route?

Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.